InFocus Magazine

MARCH 27—Crown Isle Resort presents Easter Sunday. Bring the family and come out to the driving range at 8:30am for an Easter egg hunt. Kids 10 and under can search for eggs in the grass with the Easter bunny. Afterward, ampoule the whole family can come inside the Clubhouse for a Pancake Breakfast, pill including pancakes, fruit salad and drinks. Entry is by donation with funds benefiting our Community First programs. Suggested donation of $5 per family.

MARCH 28—Easter Eggstravaganza! Easter family events at Marina Park in Comox. Have fun with an Easter egg hunt for all ages, inflatable obstacle course, face painting and charity BBQ. Activities 11:30am-2pm with Easter egg hunt starting at 12 noon sharp!

MARCH 27—Join St. Peter’s Anglican Church in celebration for ‘He is Risen’. Comox Recreation Centre, Comox, Easter Sunday at 10am.

MARCH 30 – APRIL1—Axé Capoeira Batizado and Afro-Brazilian Festival. Come and celebrate Axé Capoeira Comox Valleys first Batizado and Festival of Afro-Brazilian culture! This will be an event you will not want to miss! Four days of intensive workshops from some of the best capoeiristas from Axé Capoeira. A theatrical spectacle presented at the Sid Williams theatre and a belt ceremony with kids performances! 10:00am – 4:00pm, Comox Recreation Centre. FMI www.capoeiracomox.com

MARCH 31—Chamber of Commerce Board Elections Luncheon. Don’t miss your chance to vote for the Chamber’s volunteer board of directors and do a little networking while you’re at it. Kingfisher Resort, Sandpiper Room from 11:45am-1:30pm. www.comoxvalleychamber.com

APRIL 1—Ballet Victoria’s Romeo and Juliet. The drama of Shakespeare and the creativity of Ballet Victoria unite in a passionate fusion. Sid Williams Theatre. 7:30pm. www.sidwilliamstheatre.com

APRIL 1—Joy District. Come support Joy District as they embark on their first cross-Canada tour. The Waverley Hotel, Cumberland. Tickets $15/advance available at Bop City, The Waverley, online at www.cumberlandvillageworks.com  or call 250-336-8322. Doors open at 9:30 pm.

APRIL 5—Chamber of Commerce Business Mixer hosted by Cascadia Liquor Store. Come see what’s new at Cascadia. This after-hours mixer will sell out quickly. Please register in advance. Don’t forget to wear a nametag and bring business cards. 5pm-7pm, Cascadia Liquor Store, Crown Isle Plaza.

APRIL8, 9, 13-16—Courtenay Little Theatre presents The Tempest. A desert island and an unknown sea: one exiled sorcerer, his teenage daughter and their two servants, both magical spirits, one of air and water and the other of earth and fire. 7:30pm at the Sid Williams Theatre. FMI. www.courtenaylittletheatre.com

APRIL 8-10—28th Annual Spring Home Expo. Building, renovation and décor show. More than 100 exhibits, lots of information and ideas. Get inspired by the newest ideas in spring home improvement and decorating so you can create your dream home. Comox Valley Sports Centre. Friday 5pm-9pm; Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm; Sunday 10am-4pm. Free admission.

APRIL 9—Pigeon Hole + jprime. Packing dance floors at the Waverley and Atmosphere Gathering, Pigeon Hole returns to Cumberland for some serious spring cleaning. The Waverley, tickets $15/advance available at Bop City, The Waverley, www.cumberlandvillageworks.com  and 250-336-8322. Doors open at 9:30 pm.

APRIL 15—Ben Rogers – he’s the real deal. Great songs, top tier musicians and a vocal style that evokes the maturity of performers twice his age. The Waverley, tickets $15/advance available at Bop City, www.cumberlandvillageworks.com and 250-336-8322. Doors open at 9:30 pm.

APRIL 15 &16—Island Voices chamber choir presents “Our flight Begins in Song”, conducted by Jenn Forsland. April 15 in Comox at the Comox United Church; April 16 in Campbell River at the Campbell River Maritime Heritage Centre.

APRIL 16-17—Comox 6th Annual West Coast Women’s Show. The West Coast Women’s Show is a lifestyle show for and about women. There will be exhibits showcasing products, services and information of interest to women, as well as informative seminars. There will be something of interest for women of all ages. There will also be lots of opportunities to buy fabulous gifts, jewellery, beauty products, fashion and home decor. Learn about business and financial opportunities, get health and wellness information and much much more! Comox Community Centre , 1855 Noel Avenue, Comox. Sat. 9:30am-4:30pm; Sun. 10-4pm. FMI www.westcoastwomensshow.com.

APRIL 23—Raise The Roof with Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island North. We’re bringing back the classic old school dance. Raise The Roof is in support of Habitat’s build initiatives in which we partner with hardworking struggling families to provide safe, decent and affordable homes. Dance the night away with Habitat for Humanity, and help us Raise The Roof on our next housing project. Together we can create a lasting change for two local families. Habitat for Humanity, Building Homes, Building Hope. Music by Time Well Wasted. Native Son’s Hall, Courtenay 7:30pm – 1 am. No host bar. Tickets $25/$30 at door. For tickets and more info go to www.habitatnorthisland.com.

APRIL 24—34th Annual Snow to Surf Adventure Relay Race. Canada’s premier multi sport team relay. event. Race start 8:45am on Mount Washington. FMI www.snowtosurf.com

APRIL 30—Time—A Tribute to Pink Floyd. “Time”, Western Canada’s Premier Pink Floyd Tribute Band is coming to the Sid. With nine talented musicians, Time’s show is second to none as they perform Pink Floyd’s classic hits, choreographed with a laser and video show. When the show starts you’ll be instantly transported back in “Time” to one of the best rock and roll bands ever. Tickets at Sid Williams Theatre, by phone at 250-338-2430 or online at www.sidwilliamstheatre.com

MAY 1—International Workers’ Day Bean Supper. Honor the struggle for worker safety and dignity at home and around the wold. This old fashioned community bean supper features live music, stories from Cumberland’s colorful history and a tasty plate of working class food—biscuits, baked beans and slaw. Cumberland Cultural Centre. FMI www.cumberlandmuseum.ca

MAY 7—Orkestar Slivovica w/Demiran Cerimovic. Come celebrate Ederlezi. With Cathy Stoyko and her Romany dancers in the mix, this party promises to be the highlight of our spring season. The Waverley, tickets $15/advance available at Bop City, www.cumberlandvillageworks.com and 250-336-8322.

MAY 8—North Island Rhododendron Society 21st Annual Mother’s Day garden tour. Instead of presenting your favourite mom with a bouquet on Mother’s Day, treat her to thousands of dazzling blooms. The nine beautifully groomed gardens selected this year are in the northern part of the Comox Valley and each reflects the gardener’s special touch with shrubs, trees and flowers. The creative layouts and plant selections are sure to inspire any keen gardener. Tours start at 10am and continue through to 5pm. Tickets ($10 for all 9 gardens) are available at various Comox Valley and Campbell River outlets in April but can also be bought at the gardens themselves. Call Louise, 250-334-2331 or Linda, 250-897-3826 FMI.

MAY 12-16—BC Nature Conference and AGM. CVN is hosting the BC Nature Conference, 4 days of Field Trips, Workshops and nationally recognized speakers and presenters such as Steven Price, Chair of Bird Studies Canada, and Briony Penn, naturalist, writer, and broadcaster. Celebrate the 100 years of Canadian Conservation, and our 50th anniversary. See website for details on events and biographies. 8 am to 10 pm Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 8 am to 2 pm Sunday. Florence Filberg Center, 411 Anderton Avenue, Courtenay. FMI www.comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/bc-nature-agm/

MAY 15—Touch a Truck. Come and get up close and personal with some awesome trucks. Fundraiser for the Comox Valley Therapeutic Riding Society. Admission $5 per person, children under 2 free. Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds, 11am-3pm.

MAY 15—Comox Valley Scotiabank MS Walk. Courtenay Airpark. Check in time 8:30-9:45am. Start time 10am. Route lengths 3, 7 and 10 km. FMI call Cherie at 250-339-0819. www.mswalks.ca

MAY 17-19—Empire Days Celebrations. Join Cumberland residents for their biggest annual celebration taking place on the Victoria Day long weekend. Empire Days feature sporting events, crafts, live music, a downtown street market, parade and so much more. Activities and enjoyment for all ages. Come and take part in a great community tradition that is over a century old! FMI www.cumberlandbc.org

MAY 21-22—Denman Island Pottery Studio Tour. A wonderful opportunity to explore the island while celebrating the arts! Between 10 am and 5 pm daily 10 unique venues will showcase exciting new works. Pick up a FREE map at the Buckley Bay Ferry booth or at the Denman Island Craft Shop! Info: 250-335-1209 www.denmanpottery2016.blogspot.ca

MAY 21-23—The annual Art and Bloom Festival is focused on presenting a limited variety of art forms. Emphasis will be placed on original works by painters, potters, sculptors, glass blowers, original stained glass designers, garden art and other unique art forms. Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens. Saturday and Sunday 0-5; Monday 10-4. www.woodlandgardens.ca

JUNE 2—5th Annual Elevate the Arts Festival. A barrier free, street level arts and culture festival celebrating experimentation, exploration and the Commons! Music, poetry, art, dance, circus, photography, literary antics, urban reclamation and more! With a variety of times and locations. Downtown Courtenay. www.elevatethearts.com

JUNE 10-19—BC Shellfish & Seafood Festival. It’s shucktastic! The BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival, the largest in Western Canada, is celebrating its 10th year. 11 days of non-stop tours and charters, seafood chef demonstrations and tastings, gala dinners, educational seminars and contests celebrating British Columbia’s seafood producers, industry and bounty. Stay tuned for event announcements, tickets sales and contests. Save the date and keep on shucking! – Various locations around the Comox Valley. FMI www.discovercomoxvalley.com/shellfish-festival-info

JUNE 18—Butterfly Ball, Comox Valley. The Butterfly Ball is an enchanting evening of magic and entertainment for dads and school-aged daughters. A dinner and dance that celebrates and strengthens the special relationship they share. Crown Isle Resort. A fundraising gala supporting the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island. 4:30 to 9:30pm. FMI call 250-519-6722.

JUNE 18—Comox Valley Motorcycle Ride For Dad 2016. The mission of the TELUS Ride For Dad is to raise funds to save men’s lives by supporting prostate cancer research and raising public awareness of the disease. We raise funds through large scale one-day motorcycle, snowmobile, watercraft and ATV ride events and through ongoing public fundraising. TELUS Ride For Dad events take place in multiple cities across Canada, representing every province. FMI call 1-866-594-3243 or email [email protected].

____________________

ONGOING EVENTS

EVERY SUNDAY — Bluegrass Brunch Sundays with Archie Pateman & Friends. 10:30 am. The Waverley, 2692 Dunsmuir Avenue, Cumberland • 250-336-8322 www.cumberlandvillageworks.com

EVERY MONDAY — Senior’s Program, Halbe Hall in Black Creek. Start with an hour-long fitness class, followed by a homemade lunch provided by the Black Creek Community Assoc. $5 drop-in. 250-337-5190 FMI.

EVERY MONDAY — Woolgatherers Club. 11am-3pm, Fallen Alders Hall, Royston@Minto Road. Call Carole, 250-334-4284 or Carol, 250-339-3403 FMI.

EVERY MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY — Al-Anon for people concerned about a loved one’s drinking. Mon, Tues and Fri 8 pm; Thurs 10 am. Call 250-334-2392 FMI.

EVERY TUESDAY — Fun Euchre, Courtenay Legion, 1:30 pm. Mixed pub darts at 7 pm.

EVERY TUESDAY — Drop-in meditation with Lucas every Tuesday, 7 pm at Ocean Resort, Oyster Bay (by $$ donations to the food banks). Call 250-792-3165.

EVERY TUESDAY — Universal Devotional Chanting and Meditation. Mystic Valley Voices Chanting Community. Little Red Church Healing Centre, 2182 Comox Avenue (at Alpine). 6:45-8:30pm. Everyone welcome! ChantMaster Oliver Clarke, 250-218-1688. Visit www.mysticvalleyvoices.org FMI.

EVERY TUESDAY — Regular Drop In Meditation and Teaching with Geshe YongDong at the Sherab Chamma Ling, Tibetan Bon Buddhist Centre. By donation. 407A 5th Street, Courtenay. www.sherabchammaling.com FMI.

EVERY TUESDAY – a Good Yarn Knitting & Crochet Circle meets at the Comox Library, 101-1720 Beaufort Avenue on Tuesday from 6-8 pm year-round. Lessons, refreshments and some supplies are provided. All ages. Drop in. Call 250-339-1240 or email [email protected] FMI.

EVERY WEDNESDAY—Learn how to meditate! Free classes will be held at the Courtenay Library, 300 6th Street in Courtenay. Simple and effective techniques of Sahaja Yoga Meditation will allow you to master stress, improve your health, face yourself and achieve balance in every aspect of life. Ancient knowledge and practices are adapted to modern day needs for people of all ages and walks of life. Visit www.freemeditation.ca or call 250-954-5040 FMI.

EVERY WEDNESDAY — Drop-in darts at 1pm. Courtenay Legion.

EVERY WEDNESDAY — The Woolly Mammoth Craft Club is a free, all ages knitting circle ongoing Wednesday nights at Lake Trail School. 6:30-8pm at Lake Trail School (805 Willemar) in the school library. [email protected].

EVERY WEDNESDAY — Regular Drop In Silent Meditation Practice; two sessions: 7-7:30 pm & 7:35-8:05 pm. Sherab Chamma Ling, Tibetan Bon Buddhist Centre, 407A 5th Street, Courtenay. www.sherabchammaling.com FMI.

EVERY THURSDAY — Crib & Gucci, Courtenay Legion, 6:30 pm. Men’s darts at 7 pm.

EVERY THURSDAY — Thursday Jazz Club. In the past year the Jazz Club has had over 20 different host combos with 200+ musicians aged 13 to 80 years on the stage. The Avalanche Bar and Grill on Eight Street, Courtenay, 7:30-10:30 pm. www.georgiastraightjazz.com

EVERY THURSDAY — Thursday Night Open Jam. Stellar house band, ready to play music in almost any style! 9 pm. No cover. The Waverley, 2692 Dunsmuir Avenue, Cumberland • 250-336-8322. FMI visit www.cumberlandvillageworks.com

EVERY FRIDAY—CCTSC Cycling. Come join us one one of our weekly rides. We are a road cycling group of active adults and members of the cross Canada Cycle Tour Society. Meet at Florence Filberg Centre lower parking lot at 10am. We cycle at a medium pace of 20km/hr for a 40 to 80km ride.

EVERY FRIDAY — Conversation Group—a great opportunity to practice English in a safe and welcoming environment. Sponsored by the Immigrant Welcome Centre. Courtenay Branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library. Every Friday, 1-20 pm. Last Friday of the month, 1:30-3pm. Call Jean, 250-338-6359 FMI.

EVERY SATURDAY — The Comox Valley Farmers’ Market moves back outdoors for the summer at the Courtenay Fairgrounds on Headquarters Road on April 9. Come out and visit the 50 plus vendors for the freshest selection of seasonal vegetables, free-range poultry and eggs, ethnic foods, seafood, cheese and honey, fresh baking, natural skincare products, pet treats and more plus live music the entire family can enjoy. (March 26 and April 2—Farmers’ Market is indoors at the Native Son’s Hall in Downtown Courtenay.) Every Saturday from 9-noon. FMI: www.cvfm.ca

___________

GALLERIES

ART ALCHEMY STUDIO/GALLERY This unique space is home to working artists’ studios and their gallery. Come wander through and see paintings and glass art in the making. .362 10th Street Courtenay • www.artalchemy.ca

BETTY & NEIL BOYLE’S STUDIO AND GALLERY On display are oil paintings of numerous subjects such as figurative, floral and landscape, which reflect the use of the Impressionist palette. www.neilboyle.com • 250-338-0530.

BRENDA CALHOUN ARTWORKS Award-winning Courtenay artist. Realistic acrylic, mixed media and watercolor paintings of still lifes, florals and tranquil scenes. Phone? 250-897-1816 or visit www.brendacalhounartworks.com

BRIAN SCOTT FINE ART Colorful expressionist oil paintings by Brian Scott on display in his Gallery/Studio in Black Creek. Historical and local scenes from the Comox Valley and around BC. By appt 250-337-1941 • www.brianscottfineart.com

BRYAN KEMILA FINE ART STUDIO / GALLERY Original acrylic paintings and prints for sale, featuring the female form. Shows include Playboy’s Glamourcon Chicago & Los Angeles, Seattle Erotic Art Festival, Montreal Erotic Art Show, Vancouver’s Pan Pacific Taboo Show. Gallery open 10 – 4 Mon. to Sat. by appt. 250.338.7254 • 3021 Rachel Road, Courtenay • www.SigndesignBC.com

COMOX VALLEY ART GALLERY   Regional public art gallery dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and celebrating emergent contemporary art practice.580A Duncan Ave., Courtenay • 250-338-6211 www.comoxvalleyartgallery.com

CORRE ALICE ART GALLERY Frelone’s Grocery in Cumberland has been transformed into an art gallery and studio space by professional artist Corre Alice. 2781 Dunsmuir Avenue, Cumberland

CREATIVE SPIRIT GLASS BEAD STUDIO Visit my studio to see the process of glass bead making (flame working) and view the wearable, handmade glass bead jewelry made on-site. 365 Ships Point Road, Fanny Bay. • 250-335-3355

CREEKSIDE GALLERY Fine art photographic prints by Vancouver Island artist David Innes. Vivid impressions of the West Coast, Provence, Colonial Mexico & more. 540 Salsbury Rd., Courtenay 250-703-4725 www.lapausebb.com/gallery

I-HOS GALLERY Northwest Coast native art, gold and silver jewelry, prints, carvings 3320 Comox Ave., Comox • www.ihosgallery.com • 250-339-7702

JOE SMITH STUDIO & GALLERY Original works of art in watercolors and acrylic painted in a realistic style. Local and west coast scenes. Art cards & prints also available. 5867 Garvin Road, Union Bay • www.joesmith.ca 250-335-2578

MARINER’S LOOKOUT ON COMOX BAY GALLERY/STUDIO Original acrylic paintings, life drawings and relief sculptures by Henrie Beaudoin and guest artists. Open most weekday afternoons 1-4:30 pm. 122 Stafford Street, Comox, BC 250-898-9010

NANCY J. MORRISON STAINED GLASS STUDIO Original works in stained glass showcasing various styles. Welcome to visit my studio/gallery located in “Tin Town”. Open Saturday 10 to 2 or by appointment. 2364 Rosewall Cr. Courtenay. 334-0262

PEARL ELLIS GALLERY March 15-April 3—Vickie Lapp memorial photo awards show.  April 5-17— Leonard Barrett “The Forgotten Ones”.  April 19-May 8 Monday Bunch Group Show.  May 10-29— Campbell River Seaside Painters.   1729 Comox Avenue, Comox • www.pearlellisgallery.com • 250-339-2822

POTTERS PLACE Our gallery and shop has been in operation for 15 years and showcases the largest selection of stoneware, porcelain, raku and specialty firings in BC. Run by a collective of enthusiastic potters.  www.thepottersplace.ca • 180B 5th St., Courtenay • 250-334-4613

RICHARD MENARD STUDIO/GALLERY Wood and stone sculpture and painting. Richard’s work is an eclectic mix of eastern philosophy and West Coast materials, style and form—subtle, exquisite and powerful works rooted in and inspired by nature and healing. 6141 Lacon Road, Denman Island. • www.richardmenard.com

SHELLEY’S STUDIO The home-based Comox studio of designer/artist Shelley Barr is open by appointment only. Unique textile art wall hangings, pillows and clothing as well as her mixed media collage paintings and photography. 250-334-7407 • [email protected] • www.shelleystudio.ca

STOFER GALLERY A welcoming home studio and gallery on Denman Island. Features a wide range of expressionist paintings by Canadian artist Dawn Stofer. 5305 East Road, Denman Island • www.stofergallery.com • 250-335-3246

TERESA KNIGHT ART STUDIO View original paintings by Teresa Knight at her studio in Union Bay. By appointment 250-335-3234 or www.teresaknight.com

 
What’s your idea of paradise?  We all have a different perspective of a place we’d deem perfection, Sildenafil
but for many of us, noun
paradise would include a place in the wilderness.  Unfortunately, for a good number of BC citizens, the wilderness is not accessible.  A person with a disability can only see the trail winding into the trees, but they can’t explore it.  Fortunately, this is changing.  There are groups working hard to create wilderness accessible trails for everybody and every body, no matter their level of ability.

The first sub-alpine accessible trail in a BC Provincial park, the Centennial Loop Trail, officially opened last summer.  The two kilometre trail, located in the Paradise Meadows area of Mount Washington, is a combination of hard packed earth and long stretches of boardwalk.  The trail winds through the unique sub-alpine terrain, over streams and across meadows.  In the summer the area is ablaze with wildflowers and the small lakes that dot the landscape reflect the clouds and blue sky.  Most importantly, whether you walk, run, or roll, the new trail is accessible to everyone.

Since its completion, the Centennial Loop Trail has had thousands of visitors, but it took 14 years of volunteer time and effort to make it happen.  Though many individuals worked to make the trail a reality, Judy Norbury, a disabled but abled person, was instrumental in its creation.

Stricken with polio at age four, Norbury has lived most of her life as a disabled individual—but she doesn’t see herself that way.  “My parents never treated me as disabled,” she says.  Her mother was fiercely protective of her, though not in the way you might imagine.  Instead, her mother protected Norbury from being treated differently because of her wheelchair.  For example, the word ‘crippled’ was never allowed in the household.  “All in all, I had a great childhood,” Norbury remembers, “and I have no regrets about my disability as it has actually enabled me to experience amazing things.”

Though it hasn’t always been easy, Norbury has never allowed her disability to keep her from experiencing life.  She’s built a cabin on Pender Island, lived off the grid on the Sunshine Coast, and has travelled across India.  Though she usually gets around via her own steam there have been instances when she’s needed help.  She’s been carried, piggybacked and pushed, but she’s always made a way.  Even so, she realizes that not everyone has their own personal Sherpa to carry them around, and not everyone wants that.  There’s something to be said for being able to get somewhere or do something without the help of another person.

When asked about the level of accessibility in the Comox Valley, Norbury says it’s quite good here.  “There aren’t many places I can’t get to,” she says.  She’s a spunky lady though, and as you’d imagine, she’s not afraid to ask for help on occasion.  For example, if there are stairs in her way she just asks a nearby person to give her a bit of help.  But sometimes too many barriers can be downright annoying.   For example, years ago she visited the old Paradise Meadows trail, before it was renovated, and found stairs throughout.   “I could see that the stairs didn’t really need to be there,” she says.  “The trail just hadn’t been built with accessibility in mind.”

Throughout the following years, Norbury and organizations like the Strathcona Wilderness Institute discussed the lack of accessible trails in the Comox Valley, and worked toward making the necessary changes to existing trails so they would be open for all.

The Accessible Wilderness Society (AWS) is another local organization that works toward facilitating wilderness experiences for disabled individuals.  Dan Bauer, the president and founder of AWS, feels that creating more trails like the Centennial Loop Trail should be a priority to all of us.   “We’re all getting older,” Bauer says.  “Few of us leave this world in the same shape we are in today.  It’s in our best interest to take steps to ensure these opportunities are available for all in the future.”

Bauer is a paraplegic who was injured in a car accident in 1985.  Though it must have been unimaginably difficult to realize he wouldn’t walk again, it didn’t take long for Bauer to see that he could work to improve his situation and the situation of those like him.

Specifically, he recalls a time soon after his injury when he was sitting in a hospital room with other patients who had spinal cord injuries.  On the other side of the room was a man surrounded by his wife and children.  The man was crying and telling his kids that he wouldn’t be able to take them fishing anymore.  Bauer remembers the tears of the children as they listened to their father and saw his grief.  The scene deeply affected him, and he wondered why it had to be that way.  Why couldn’t that man take his children fishing despite his disability?  Way back then, so soon after Bauer’s own injury, the seeds for the Accessible Wilderness Society were sown.

Bauer explains that although accessibility in the urban centres has been the main focus for many years, it was time for inclusion to go beyond the pavement.  To Bauer, Norbury and the rest of the volunteers at AWS, the great outdoors offer something that, like a vitamin, is essential to all of us.  Bauer describes the invigorating and restorative power of nature when he states, “There is something that touches me deep inside when I’m in nature, and that’s something I want for everyone.”

Although Bauer is in a wheelchair, he considers himself quite fit and able.  “I’m a bit like Rick Hansen,” he says with a laugh.  His fitness makes it easier for him to access some trails that other disabled people could not.  He notes that there have been many times he’s pushed himself along a difficult trail, only to feel sad when he got to the viewpoint.  “It breaks me up when I get to these beautiful places and know that many people can’t see it too.”

In fact, Bauer says the biggest challenge of AWS has been recognizing the different levels of disability that exist.  For example, what would be possible on a normal wheelchair may be impossible for someone with a motorized chair.  Or a scooter may be able to use a trail, while a person using a walker would find it too difficult.  Because of these challenges, AWS is publishing a new and improved guide that will differentiate trails according to the level of accessibility.

Disabilities don’t always mean problems with locomotion.  For example, vision impaired people also desire access into the wilderness.  Bauer admits that, initially, this fact was not recognized by AWS.  He tells the story of a vision-impaired man who mentioned the problems of a particular trail.  When Bauer told him he believed the trail was quite good—in fact he’d just been on the trail with his wheelchair—the man asked Bauer if he had noticed all the low hanging branches.  Bauer hadn’t.  “I’m only four feet tall when I’m in my chair!” he says with a laugh.  “But getting bonked on the head by branches as you walk along a trail is not what I’d call accessible.”

From then on Bauer and the rest of the AWS crew viewed the trails from an even wider perspective.

Viewing our trails through a larger lens is something we can all do.  There are many trails throughout the Comox Valley that only need small changes to make them available to a wider audience.  Bauer mentions that some people worry that making a trail accessible means changing it so much it’s unrecognizable, but that’s not the case.  Normally a trail just needs to be widened a bit, or a gravel section needs to be amended.  Oftentimes the necessary changes aren’t even expensive.

He tells the story of one trail that was just wonderful until he came to a bridge that had two steps leading to it.  “That entire trail would have been perfect if they had just installed a $300 ramp,” he says.  “It was so frustrating to see that beautiful and beckoning trial on the other side of the bridge winding away from me, knowing I was hindered by just two steps.”  But step by step, things are changing here in BC.

Right now Vancouver Island has close to 40 parks and trails that are completely accessible, but there are many more trails Bauer would like to see improved.  In fact, he sees a future where British Columbia is celebrated for its accessibility—where tourists purposely come to our province in order to experience nature like they’ve never been able.

According to Bauer, 14.3 per cent of Canadians list themselves as having a disability, and you can multiply that number by 10 if you include folks from the United States. “That’s an impressive number,” says Bauer, “and it’s growing even more as our population ages.”

Bauer sees those numbers as an opportunity, and he promises, “If we provide the accessible trails for people, they will come.”And why not?  British Columbia can already boast the longest completely accessible trail in the world—the 12 kilometre Inland Lake Trail near Powell River.  This amazing trail even has charging stations along the way for power wheelchairs.

But Vancouver Island will soon scoop the world record, since Bauer and his society plan to build a completely accessible trail around Robert’s Lake, near Campbell River.  This new trail will be 13.5 kilometres long. Bauer and the Accessible Wilderness Society aren’t doing these things on their own anymore.  In fact, they have some friends in high places.  For example, the Honourable Pat Bell, the Provincial Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, loves the idea of opening up the wilderness for citizens and tourists with disabilities.  Though the Accessible Wilderness Guide is only found in information centres on Vancouver Island, Minister Bell wants to help Bauer and his society publish their guide province-wide.

Even Prime Minister Steven Harper was made aware of BC’s highest accessible trail.  Bauer tells the story of the opening ceremony for the Centennial Loop Trail, when Steven Fletcher, Canada’s Minister of State for Transportation—who just happens to be in a wheelchair—took a detour on his travel itinerary to take part.

Apparently, Fletcher was so happy with the trail he kept asking his aid to take pictures.  “He’d see a good shot and say, ‘Send that one to Steven.’  Then he’d go around the next corner, remark on the beautiful view and ask his aid to get another photo, saying, ‘Send that one to Steven too.’  When asked who ‘Steven’ was, Mr. Fletcher said it was the Prime Minister.”   Bauer laughs when he says, “Mr. Harper was sent an annoying amount of pictures that day of Minister Fletcher enjoying the Centennial Loop trail!”

Well, maybe it was annoying for our Prime Minister, but the actions of the people volunteering their time to make our trails more accessible to everyone are far from bothersome.  We are blessed in the Comox Valley with nature in abundance, and that abundance should be served up in generous portions to each and every citizen—which is just what Bauer and Norbury and many others aim to do.

The Accessible Wilderness Society is always looking for volunteers.  You can visit their site and learn about their exciting future projects by going to www.awsociety.org/.

For information specific to the Centennial Loop Trail visit: www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/strath/centennial_trail.pdf

The dew lays heavy on the grass and morning birdsong fills the air when Brenda Mee—better known as ‘The Jam Lady’—arrives at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Road in Courtenay.  It is shortly before 7:00 am on a Saturday in June and she is the first to arrive to set up for the weekly Farmers’ Market.  She smiles as she steps from her car and raises a hand to wave ‘Hello’ as other vehicles start to pull into the parking lot.  For Mee, the weekly ritual of attending the Market is not just about having a venue to sell product.  It is about family… and community.

“Brenda Mee has been participating in the Farmers’ Market for all of our 20-year history,” says Vickie Brown, manager of the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association (CVFMA), which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.  “During the peak of the growing season we will have about 60 vendors—and Brenda is always one of them.  In 20 years of operation she has only missed about a half dozen Saturdays in the summer time.”

“I’ll never forget that first Saturday in August 1992,” says Mee, who grew up on Denman Island and has been a life-long resident of the Comox Valley. “I had a truck load of sweet corn to sell and—along with the other vendors—was wondering if anyone would show up to buy our products.  I was thrilled when I sold out within an hour!  Before long, in addition to vegetables, I was also bringing homemade jams, jellies, butter tarts, old-fashioned cake donuts and other baked goods made from scratch… just like your Grandma used to make.  Whatever the weather, I do my best to come every Saturday. It can be pouring rain and our tents can be flapping in high winds, yet we all still make the trip to the market.  We are a stubborn and hardy bunch!”

For Mee, who was widowed at a young age, the Saturday morning market soon became a highlight of her week.  “The vendors all know and care about each other,” explains Mee. “It is not uncommon for us to pass a hat around to take up a collection for someone in our ‘family’ who has faced tragedy.”

This sense of belonging and kinship is a common thread that connects all market vendors together.  Barbara and Bryne Odegard operate Ironwood Farm and they have also been part of the Farmers’ Market since its early days. The Odegards grow more than 100 varieties of plants and vegetables, and raise chickens on their 11.5-acre certified organic farm in Fanny Bay.  In addition to growing food, Ironwood Farm is a Worldwide Opportunities for Organic Farms Association (WOOF) host farm and works in cooperation with several agricultural-based apprenticeship programs.  Over the years, more than 700 people from around the globe have come to the Comox Valley to gain valuable experience at Ironwood Farm.  Sometimes this includes helping at the weekly Market.

Barbara Odegard says since they first started selling at the Farmers’ Market in 1996, they have watched their customers’ children be born and raised; now these kids are young adults, some with children of their own, and they are still show up to buy veggies on Saturdays.  “There is no doubt that the Farmers’ Market has become an integral part of the community and I can’t imagine it not being here,” she says. “The Farmers’ Market and its farmers have become the public face of food, playing an important role in the most positive way, pulling people together for a common cause and what can be more common than food?

“Markets present an opportunity for the public to get back in touch with what food is all about and how it is grown,” adds Odegard.  “We hear the same questions from people thousands of times but we don’t mind answering them over and over again.  The Market provides a welcome opportunity to teach and gives people information about food, soil and plants. It has opened an opportunity for the public to get reconnected. It is a really important role.  I also believe that farmers’ markets are one of the happiest places you can go to.  The shopping experience is uplifting and enjoyable.  It is a safe place, where children can run around and dogs—on short leashes—are welcome.  It is such a positive place to be.”

The Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association was founded in 1992 by Dick McGinnis, Gail Beaucage and Dave Bernard, with support from then Comox Valley Regional District director Harold Macy, and guidance from then district agriculturalist Gary Rolston.  Today, the CVFMA has approximately100 members. About 50 of these vendors are ‘regulars’ and the rest come and go, as their particular products are ready for sale.

Vendors sell everything from fresh produce, plants and home-baked goods to wild seafood, bison meat, cheese, pet treats and skin care.  In addition, the Farmers’ Market offers live music featuring local musicians, so you can shop, eat, drink and be merry!

While Mee and the Odegards are recognized as some of the most experienced market vendors, Megan Halstead and Chris Hancock from Halstead Farm are relative newcomers to the weekly ritual. Halstead Farm has been in Megan’s family since 1958, however, life circumstances had resulted in the farm being rented for many years.  Still, she had fond memories of growing up there.  She went on to earn a degree in agroecology (a science related to agricultural sustainability) from the University of British Columbia and always planned to return to the Comox Valley. Her husband, Chris Hancock, a mechanic, grew up in a farming community in the Ottawa Valley so he was fully supportive of his wife’s desire to take over operation of the family farm in 2008.  It didn’t take them long to get into the swing of things.  They joined the CVFMA soon after, worked hard to secure organic farm certification through the Island Organic Producers Association by 2010, and Chris volunteered to serve on the CVFMA’s Board of Directors in 2011.

Today, Halstead Farm is a growing concern with three generations of one family working together to bring fresh organic meat to the weekly market.  Megan’s mother, Ann Halstead and stepfather Jim Hunter help Megan and Chris raise organic chickens, sheep and hogs—and their nine month old son, Sam.

“Although we are doing well, I still feel like we are very much in a growth and set-up stage,” reports Halstead. “Some days I feel a mixture of being overwhelmed by the work we face today and in awe of how much work my father used to accomplish on his own.  As a child, you don’t really notice all of the work that happens on a family farm.  As an adult, you understand!”

Halstead adds that the Farmers’ Market has a spirit of collaboration and sense of community, not competition.  “We appreciate that the older farmers are eager to give us advice and it is fun to trade produce with the other vendors,” says Halstead.  “Attending the weekly market has been a really fun and rewarding experience.  Without it, we would have a tough time selling our products.  Marketing is the biggest challenge that farmers face and the weekly Farmers’ Market makes it easier for everyone.”

In the past few weeks, the strength of the Farmers’ Market family bond has been put to the test because Ann Halstead was diagnosed with a serious illness.  She faces weeks of treatment and recovery and her immediate family is obviously very worried about her.  The Farmers’ Market family is too.  Megan says that their friends from the Market have shown their true colours by stepping forward to help.  They have attended work parties, brought over food and are helping care for the animals. In doing so, they are also caring for her family.  “It has been amazing to get this kind of unsolicited support,” says Megan.

Hubert Gravouseille, Little Orca Bakery, is the CVFMA’s current president.  A baker who hails from France, Gravouseille has been selling his baked goods at the Market since 1997.  He says that he too has embraced and been embraced by the Farmers’ Market family—adding that this includes both vendors and customers alike.

“Farmers’ markets have been in place in most European cities for 100 years or more,” says Gravouseille.  “In Europe they are more a part of the everyday background economy, as opposed to being a novelty and source of entertainment.  In my travels, I have found that the sense of community [created at a Farmers’ Market] depends on the size of the community.  Markets in small towns will draw in more of the general population but in the big cities they [may be considered nothing but] a source for fresh produce and are taken for granted.  People generally are pretty busy and don’t have time to chat at the markets in larger cities.  Fortunately for us vendors, people in the Comox Valley fit in the small town category.”

Brown agrees wholeheartedly but adds that she feels farmers’ markets also play an important role in educating the public about where our food comes from.  Small farmers, she believes, are core to this community and the Market provides a much-needed venue for them to sell their products.  Many local farmers are not big enough to supply food to restaurants or grocery stores, but they can still play an integral role in feeding local families, educating consumers and building a sense of community pride.

From a nostalgic point-of-view it is great to look back on the history of the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association, but Brown, the Board of Directors and the Market vendors all feel it is equally important to look to the future.

“Our primary objective over the next five years is to secure a permanent location with a building that could house the market 12 months of the year,” says Brown.  “There is land on the Old Island Highway, where we hold the Wednesday markets, that is under consideration.  How the funding will be secured and how this operation will be managed is still a work in progress.  Our vision as an organization is to have a building that will not only have the capacity to house the vendors for weekly markets, but one that will also have an educational component dealing with the economics of agriculture and importance of food security.  We have dreams of having space available for an office, workshops, storage facilities, perhaps a commercial kitchen and greenhouses.  Also, because of this location’s proximity to the surrounding farmer’s fields and Ducks Unlimited land, we would incorporate a wildlife awareness component into the plan too.”

“It is essential that we keep the agricultural economy and the farmland productive in the Comox Valley,” maintains Gravouseille.  “After all, we live on an island and if a natural disaster occurred we could be cut off from the mainland.

“There is a trickle down effect when supporting local vendors of all sorts.  We tend to buy from each other and keep the monetary assets here instead of supporting big corporations thousands of miles away.  The 20th anniversary represents a strong commitment on behalf of the community here to shop locally.  We greatly appreciate the strides we have made and the growth of the CVFMA.  We look forward to whatever the future may bring.”

Brown agrees.  “Our little market has grown thanks to the support of the people of our community,” she says.  “Our goal is to repay that support with our hard work and dedication to bringing you the freshness and the flavors of our lovely Valley home.  We love what we do and are committed to create through our Market, and in concert with local agricultural agencies, a ‘place for agriculture’ right here in the Valley.  We know we can count on the support of the community as we work toward that goal.”

The outdoor Saturday market is held at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Road. It traditionally starts up in early April and runs weekly until mid-October.  It is open from 9:00 am until noon every Saturday, including long weekends.  In the winter the Market moves indoors to the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay.

A few years ago, a mid-week market day was set up, to ensure farmers are able to harvest and distribute fresh produce during the peak growing season. The Wednesday market traditionally starts in early June and is held from 9 am to1 pm on Wednesdays, at the Comox Bay Farm on the North Island Highway. (Across from Island Honda on Comox Road.)   

For more information visit www.comoxvalleyfarmersmarket.com.

The dew lays heavy on the grass and morning birdsong fills the air when Brenda Mee—better known as ‘The Jam Lady’—arrives at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Road in Courtenay.  It is shortly before 7:00 am on a Saturday in June and she is the first to arrive to set up for the weekly Farmers’ Market.  She smiles as she steps from her car and raises a hand to wave ‘Hello’ as other vehicles start to pull into the parking lot.  For Mee, the weekly ritual of attending the Market is not just about having a venue to sell product.  It is about family… and community.

“Brenda Mee has been participating in the Farmers’ Market for all of our 20-year history,” says Vickie Brown, manager of the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association (CVFMA), which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.  “During the peak of the growing season we will have about 60 vendors—and Brenda is always one of them.  In 20 years of operation she has only missed about a half dozen Saturdays in the summer time.”

“I’ll never forget that first Saturday in August 1992,” says Mee, who grew up on Denman Island and has been a life-long resident of the Comox Valley. “I had a truck load of sweet corn to sell and—along with the other vendors—was wondering if anyone would show up to buy our products.  I was thrilled when I sold out within an hour!  Before long, in addition to vegetables, I was also bringing homemade jams, jellies, butter tarts, old-fashioned cake donuts and other baked goods made from scratch… just like your Grandma used to make.  Whatever the weather, I do my best to come every Saturday. It can be pouring rain and our tents can be flapping in high winds, yet we all still make the trip to the market.  We are a stubborn and hardy bunch!”

For Mee, who was widowed at a young age, the Saturday morning market soon became a highlight of her week.  “The vendors all know and care about each other,” explains Mee. “It is not uncommon for us to pass a hat around to take up a collection for someone in our ‘family’ who has faced tragedy.”

This sense of belonging and kinship is a common thread that connects all market vendors together.  Barbara and Bryne Odegard operate Ironwood Farm and they have also been part of the Farmers’ Market since its early days. The Odegards grow more than 100 varieties of plants and vegetables, and raise chickens on their 11.5-acre certified organic farm in Fanny Bay.  In addition to growing food, Ironwood Farm is a Worldwide Opportunities for Organic Farms Association (WOOF) host farm and works in cooperation with several agricultural-based apprenticeship programs.  Over the years, more than 700 people from around the globe have come to the Comox Valley to gain valuable experience at Ironwood Farm.  Sometimes this includes helping at the weekly Market.

Barbara Odegard says since they first started selling at the Farmers’ Market in 1996, they have watched their customers’ children be born and raised; now these kids are young adults, some with children of their own, and they are still show up to buy veggies on Saturdays.  “There is no doubt that the Farmers’ Market has become an integral part of the community and I can’t imagine it not being here,” she says. “The Farmers’ Market and its farmers have become the public face of food, playing an important role in the most positive way, pulling people together for a common cause and what can be more common than food?

“Markets present an opportunity for the public to get back in touch with what food is all about and how it is grown,” adds Odegard.  “We hear the same questions from people thousands of times but we don’t mind answering them over and over again.  The Market provides a welcome opportunity to teach and gives people information about food, soil and plants. It has opened an opportunity for the public to get reconnected. It is a really important role.  I also believe that farmers’ markets are one of the happiest places you can go to.  The shopping experience is uplifting and enjoyable.  It is a safe place, where children can run around and dogs—on short leashes—are welcome.  It is such a positive place to be.”

The Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association was founded in 1992 by Dick McGinnis, Gail Beaucage and Dave Bernard, with support from then Comox Valley Regional District director Harold Macy, and guidance from then district agriculturalist Gary Rolston.  Today, the CVFMA has approximately100 members. About 50 of these vendors are ‘regulars’ and the rest come and go, as their particular products are ready for sale.

Vendors sell everything from fresh produce, plants and home-baked goods to wild seafood, bison meat, cheese, pet treats and skin care.  In addition, the Farmers’ Market offers live music featuring local musicians, so you can shop, eat, drink and be merry!

While Mee and the Odegards are recognized as some of the most experienced market vendors, Megan Halstead and Chris Hancock from Halstead Farm are relative newcomers to the weekly ritual. Halstead Farm has been in Megan’s family since 1958, however, life circumstances had resulted in the farm being rented for many years.  Still, she had fond memories of growing up there.  She went on to earn a degree in agroecology (a science related to agricultural sustainability) from the University of British Columbia and always planned to return to the Comox Valley. Her husband, Chris Hancock, a mechanic, grew up in a farming community in the Ottawa Valley so he was fully supportive of his wife’s desire to take over operation of the family farm in 2008.  It didn’t take them long to get into the swing of things.  They joined the CVFMA soon after, worked hard to secure organic farm certification through the Island Organic Producers Association by 2010, and Chris volunteered to serve on the CVFMA’s Board of Directors in 2011.

Today, Halstead Farm is a growing concern with three generations of one family working together to bring fresh organic meat to the weekly market.  Megan’s mother, Ann Halstead and stepfather Jim Hunter help Megan and Chris raise organic chickens, sheep and hogs—and their nine month old son, Sam.

“Although we are doing well, I still feel like we are very much in a growth and set-up stage,” reports Halstead. “Some days I feel a mixture of being overwhelmed by the work we face today and in awe of how much work my father used to accomplish on his own.  As a child, you don’t really notice all of the work that happens on a family farm.  As an adult, you understand!”

Halstead adds that the Farmers’ Market has a spirit of collaboration and sense of community, not competition.  “We appreciate that the older farmers are eager to give us advice and it is fun to trade produce with the other vendors,” says Halstead.  “Attending the weekly market has been a really fun and rewarding experience.  Without it, we would have a tough time selling our products.  Marketing is the biggest challenge that farmers face and the weekly Farmers’ Market makes it easier for everyone.”

In the past few weeks, the strength of the Farmers’ Market family bond has been put to the test because Ann Halstead was diagnosed with a serious illness.  She faces weeks of treatment and recovery and her immediate family is obviously very worried about her.  The Farmers’ Market family is too.  Megan says that their friends from the Market have shown their true colours by stepping forward to help.  They have attended work parties, brought over food and are helping care for the animals. In doing so, they are also caring for her family.  “It has been amazing to get this kind of unsolicited support,” says Megan.

Hubert Gravouseille, Little Orca Bakery, is the CVFMA’s current president.  A baker who hails from France, Gravouseille has been selling his baked goods at the Market since 1997.  He says that he too has embraced and been embraced by the Farmers’ Market family—adding that this includes both vendors and customers alike.

“Farmers’ markets have been in place in most European cities for 100 years or more,” says Gravouseille.  “In Europe they are more a part of the everyday background economy, as opposed to being a novelty and source of entertainment.  In my travels, I have found that the sense of community [created at a Farmers’ Market] depends on the size of the community.  Markets in small towns will draw in more of the general population but in the big cities they [may be considered nothing but] a source for fresh produce and are taken for granted.  People generally are pretty busy and don’t have time to chat at the markets in larger cities.  Fortunately for us vendors, people in the Comox Valley fit in the small town category.”

Brown agrees wholeheartedly but adds that she feels farmers’ markets also play an important role in educating the public about where our food comes from.  Small farmers, she believes, are core to this community and the Market provides a much-needed venue for them to sell their products.  Many local farmers are not big enough to supply food to restaurants or grocery stores, but they can still play an integral role in feeding local families, educating consumers and building a sense of community pride.

From a nostalgic point-of-view it is great to look back on the history of the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association, but Brown, the Board of Directors and the Market vendors all feel it is equally important to look to the future.

“Our primary objective over the next five years is to secure a permanent location with a building that could house the market 12 months of the year,” says Brown.  “There is land on the Old Island Highway, where we hold the Wednesday markets, that is under consideration.  How the funding will be secured and how this operation will be managed is still a work in progress.  Our vision as an organization is to have a building that will not only have the capacity to house the vendors for weekly markets, but one that will also have an educational component dealing with the economics of agriculture and importance of food security.  We have dreams of having space available for an office, workshops, storage facilities, perhaps a commercial kitchen and greenhouses.  Also, because of this location’s proximity to the surrounding farmer’s fields and Ducks Unlimited land, we would incorporate a wildlife awareness component into the plan too.”

“It is essential that we keep the agricultural economy and the farmland productive in the Comox Valley,” maintains Gravouseille.  “After all, we live on an island and if a natural disaster occurred we could be cut off from the mainland.

“There is a trickle down effect when supporting local vendors of all sorts.  We tend to buy from each other and keep the monetary assets here instead of supporting big corporations thousands of miles away.  The 20th anniversary represents a strong commitment on behalf of the community here to shop locally.  We greatly appreciate the strides we have made and the growth of the CVFMA.  We look forward to whatever the future may bring.”

Brown agrees.  “Our little market has grown thanks to the support of the people of our community,” she says.  “Our goal is to repay that support with our hard work and dedication to bringing you the freshness and the flavors of our lovely Valley home.  We love what we do and are committed to create through our Market, and in concert with local agricultural agencies, a ‘place for agriculture’ right here in the Valley.  We know we can count on the support of the community as we work toward that goal.”

The outdoor Saturday market is held at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Road. It traditionally starts up in early April and runs weekly until mid-October.  It is open from 9:00 am until noon every Saturday, including long weekends.  In the winter the Market moves indoors to the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay.

A few years ago, a mid-week market day was set up, to ensure farmers are able to harvest and distribute fresh produce during the peak growing season. The Wednesday market traditionally starts in early June and is held from 9 am to1 pm on Wednesdays, at the Comox Bay Farm on the North Island Highway. (Across from Island Honda on Comox Road.)   

For more information visit www.comoxvalleyfarmersmarket.com.

The dew lays heavy on the grass and morning birdsong fills the air when Brenda Mee—better known as ‘The Jam Lady’—arrives at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Road in Courtenay.  It is shortly before 7:00 am on a Saturday in June and she is the first to arrive to set up for the weekly Farmers’ Market.  She smiles as she steps from her car and raises a hand to wave ‘Hello’ as other vehicles start to pull into the parking lot.  For Mee, the weekly ritual of attending the Market is not just about having a venue to sell product.  It is about family… and community.

“Brenda Mee has been participating in the Farmers’ Market for all of our 20-year history,” says Vickie Brown, manager of the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association (CVFMA), which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.  “During the peak of the growing season we will have about 60 vendors—and Brenda is always one of them.  In 20 years of operation she has only missed about a half dozen Saturdays in the summer time.”

“I’ll never forget that first Saturday in August 1992,” says Mee, who grew up on Denman Island and has been a life-long resident of the Comox Valley. “I had a truck load of sweet corn to sell and—along with the other vendors—was wondering if anyone would show up to buy our products.  I was thrilled when I sold out within an hour!  Before long, in addition to vegetables, I was also bringing homemade jams, jellies, butter tarts, old-fashioned cake donuts and other baked goods made from scratch… just like your Grandma used to make.  Whatever the weather, I do my best to come every Saturday. It can be pouring rain and our tents can be flapping in high winds, yet we all still make the trip to the market.  We are a stubborn and hardy bunch!”

For Mee, who was widowed at a young age, the Saturday morning market soon became a highlight of her week.  “The vendors all know and care about each other,” explains Mee. “It is not uncommon for us to pass a hat around to take up a collection for someone in our ‘family’ who has faced tragedy.”

This sense of belonging and kinship is a common thread that connects all market vendors together.  Barbara and Bryne Odegard operate Ironwood Farm and they have also been part of the Farmers’ Market since its early days. The Odegards grow more than 100 varieties of plants and vegetables, and raise chickens on their 11.5-acre certified organic farm in Fanny Bay.  In addition to growing food, Ironwood Farm is a Worldwide Opportunities for Organic Farms Association (WOOF) host farm and works in cooperation with several agricultural-based apprenticeship programs.  Over the years, more than 700 people from around the globe have come to the Comox Valley to gain valuable experience at Ironwood Farm.  Sometimes this includes helping at the weekly Market.

Barbara Odegard says since they first started selling at the Farmers’ Market in 1996, they have watched their customers’ children be born and raised; now these kids are young adults, some with children of their own, and they are still show up to buy veggies on Saturdays.  “There is no doubt that the Farmers’ Market has become an integral part of the community and I can’t imagine it not being here,” she says. “The Farmers’ Market and its farmers have become the public face of food, playing an important role in the most positive way, pulling people together for a common cause and what can be more common than food?

“Markets present an opportunity for the public to get back in touch with what food is all about and how it is grown,” adds Odegard.  “We hear the same questions from people thousands of times but we don’t mind answering them over and over again.  The Market provides a welcome opportunity to teach and gives people information about food, soil and plants. It has opened an opportunity for the public to get reconnected. It is a really important role.  I also believe that farmers’ markets are one of the happiest places you can go to.  The shopping experience is uplifting and enjoyable.  It is a safe place, where children can run around and dogs—on short leashes—are welcome.  It is such a positive place to be.”

The Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association was founded in 1992 by Dick McGinnis, Gail Beaucage and Dave Bernard, with support from then Comox Valley Regional District director Harold Macy, and guidance from then district agriculturalist Gary Rolston.  Today, the CVFMA has approximately100 members. About 50 of these vendors are ‘regulars’ and the rest come and go, as their particular products are ready for sale.

Vendors sell everything from fresh produce, plants and home-baked goods to wild seafood, bison meat, cheese, pet treats and skin care.  In addition, the Farmers’ Market offers live music featuring local musicians, so you can shop, eat, drink and be merry!

While Mee and the Odegards are recognized as some of the most experienced market vendors, Megan Halstead and Chris Hancock from Halstead Farm are relative newcomers to the weekly ritual. Halstead Farm has been in Megan’s family since 1958, however, life circumstances had resulted in the farm being rented for many years.  Still, she had fond memories of growing up there.  She went on to earn a degree in agroecology (a science related to agricultural sustainability) from the University of British Columbia and always planned to return to the Comox Valley. Her husband, Chris Hancock, a mechanic, grew up in a farming community in the Ottawa Valley so he was fully supportive of his wife’s desire to take over operation of the family farm in 2008.  It didn’t take them long to get into the swing of things.  They joined the CVFMA soon after, worked hard to secure organic farm certification through the Island Organic Producers Association by 2010, and Chris volunteered to serve on the CVFMA’s Board of Directors in 2011.

Today, Halstead Farm is a growing concern with three generations of one family working together to bring fresh organic meat to the weekly market.  Megan’s mother, Ann Halstead and stepfather Jim Hunter help Megan and Chris raise organic chickens, sheep and hogs—and their nine month old son, Sam.

“Although we are doing well, I still feel like we are very much in a growth and set-up stage,” reports Halstead. “Some days I feel a mixture of being overwhelmed by the work we face today and in awe of how much work my father used to accomplish on his own.  As a child, you don’t really notice all of the work that happens on a family farm.  As an adult, you understand!”

Halstead adds that the Farmers’ Market has a spirit of collaboration and sense of community, not competition.  “We appreciate that the older farmers are eager to give us advice and it is fun to trade produce with the other vendors,” says Halstead.  “Attending the weekly market has been a really fun and rewarding experience.  Without it, we would have a tough time selling our products.  Marketing is the biggest challenge that farmers face and the weekly Farmers’ Market makes it easier for everyone.”

In the past few weeks, the strength of the Farmers’ Market family bond has been put to the test because Ann Halstead was diagnosed with a serious illness.  She faces weeks of treatment and recovery and her immediate family is obviously very worried about her.  The Farmers’ Market family is too.  Megan says that their friends from the Market have shown their true colours by stepping forward to help.  They have attended work parties, brought over food and are helping care for the animals. In doing so, they are also caring for her family.  “It has been amazing to get this kind of unsolicited support,” says Megan.

Hubert Gravouseille, Little Orca Bakery, is the CVFMA’s current president.  A baker who hails from France, Gravouseille has been selling his baked goods at the Market since 1997.  He says that he too has embraced and been embraced by the Farmers’ Market family—adding that this includes both vendors and customers alike.

“Farmers’ markets have been in place in most European cities for 100 years or more,” says Gravouseille.  “In Europe they are more a part of the everyday background economy, as opposed to being a novelty and source of entertainment.  In my travels, I have found that the sense of community [created at a Farmers’ Market] depends on the size of the community.  Markets in small towns will draw in more of the general population but in the big cities they [may be considered nothing but] a source for fresh produce and are taken for granted.  People generally are pretty busy and don’t have time to chat at the markets in larger cities.  Fortunately for us vendors, people in the Comox Valley fit in the small town category.”

Brown agrees wholeheartedly but adds that she feels farmers’ markets also play an important role in educating the public about where our food comes from.  Small farmers, she believes, are core to this community and the Market provides a much-needed venue for them to sell their products.  Many local farmers are not big enough to supply food to restaurants or grocery stores, but they can still play an integral role in feeding local families, educating consumers and building a sense of community pride.

From a nostalgic point-of-view it is great to look back on the history of the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association, but Brown, the Board of Directors and the Market vendors all feel it is equally important to look to the future.

“Our primary objective over the next five years is to secure a permanent location with a building that could house the market 12 months of the year,” says Brown.  “There is land on the Old Island Highway, where we hold the Wednesday markets, that is under consideration.  How the funding will be secured and how this operation will be managed is still a work in progress.  Our vision as an organization is to have a building that will not only have the capacity to house the vendors for weekly markets, but one that will also have an educational component dealing with the economics of agriculture and importance of food security.  We have dreams of having space available for an office, workshops, storage facilities, perhaps a commercial kitchen and greenhouses.  Also, because of this location’s proximity to the surrounding farmer’s fields and Ducks Unlimited land, we would incorporate a wildlife awareness component into the plan too.”

“It is essential that we keep the agricultural economy and the farmland productive in the Comox Valley,” maintains Gravouseille.  “After all, we live on an island and if a natural disaster occurred we could be cut off from the mainland.

“There is a trickle down effect when supporting local vendors of all sorts.  We tend to buy from each other and keep the monetary assets here instead of supporting big corporations thousands of miles away.  The 20th anniversary represents a strong commitment on behalf of the community here to shop locally.  We greatly appreciate the strides we have made and the growth of the CVFMA.  We look forward to whatever the future may bring.”

Brown agrees.  “Our little market has grown thanks to the support of the people of our community,” she says.  “Our goal is to repay that support with our hard work and dedication to bringing you the freshness and the flavors of our lovely Valley home.  We love what we do and are committed to create through our Market, and in concert with local agricultural agencies, a ‘place for agriculture’ right here in the Valley.  We know we can count on the support of the community as we work toward that goal.”

The outdoor Saturday market is held at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Road. It traditionally starts up in early April and runs weekly until mid-October.  It is open from 9:00 am until noon every Saturday, including long weekends.  In the winter the Market moves indoors to the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay.

A few years ago, a mid-week market day was set up, to ensure farmers are able to harvest and distribute fresh produce during the peak growing season. The Wednesday market traditionally starts in early June and is held from 9 am to1 pm on Wednesdays, at the Comox Bay Farm on the North Island Highway. (Across from Island Honda on Comox Road.)   

For more information visit www.comoxvalleyfarmersmarket.com.
In a earth-floored clearing in the Denman Island forest, site
ringed around by Douglas firs, alder and cedar, I’m being instructed to breathe: “In for four beats, out for four beats, hold for four beats… in, two, three, four; out, two, three, four; hold, two three, four…”  Our instructor, Vali Majd, talks us through a variety of rhythms as we walk, run and even do cartwheels (or try to, in my case).

It’s not what I expected when I signed up for my first-ever Systema class.  The tranquil surroundings, the rich damp scent emanating from the forest, the meditative calm elicited by the breathing exercises—all have a mellow West Coast vibe that seems at odds with what I’ve heard about this “brutal Russian martial art.”

The story goes that Systema (the name means ‘the system’) originated in the Russian secret service, which still keeps a tight hold on its “secret” teachings, that it’s highly militarized, that it’s an “outlaw” martial art that eschews the protocols and traditions of other fighting systems, and that it’s a macho vodka-drinking cult.

There is some truth in all of these claims, allows Majd (even the bit about the vodka, which he will explain later), but it’s not the whole truth.  He’d like to set the record straight, and as founder and owner of Pacific Coast Systema School of Warrior Arts, and one of just a handful of certified Systema teachers in BC (and the only one certified by world-renowned teacher Vladimir Vasiliev), he is well-placed to do that.

The mystique surrounding Systema can put people off, but Majd is more concerned about the way it focuses attention on a very narrow aspect of this discipline, leaving much of Systema’s richness in the shadows.

“People have misconceptions.  So there are some aspects of Systema which are better shared without using the word Systema,” says Majd,

“As my teacher Vladimir likes to say, ‘Systema just happens to be a martial art.’ Meaning it isn’t just a martial art.  It’s largely a health system, and it’s deeply rooted in Russian culture, in Slavic tradition and in the Orthodox Christian faith.  It includes a strong mystical element, so it includes practices like breathing exercises, prayer, and fasting.

“In fact, the other name for Systema in Russian is Poznai Sebia, which means self-knowledge.  In the Russian Orthodox faith, the belief is that everything that happens to us, good or bad, has one ultimate purpose: to create the best conditions for each person to understand himself.  Proper training in Systema carries the same objective: for each participant to realize as much about himself as he is able to handle at any given moment.”

But make no mistake—although it isn’t just a martial art, Systema is a martial art, and as such is designed to turn people into extremely effective fighters.  A brief perusal of Pacific Coast Systema’s website leaves no doubt that we’re in the realm of hard core fighting: on offer is training in “hand to hand combat, weapons retention, knife defence, sticks, guns… kicks, strikes and takedowns… bodyguard training” and more.

So beyond the half truths, just what is Systema? I ask Majd.  He responds with a synopsis of Systema’s history, which is closely entwined with the history of Russia.

“Today, Systema is recognized as the martial art of ancient Russia, stretching back at least until the 10th century,” he says.  Its development for most of that time was organic and decentralized.

“Prior to the Russian revolution in 1918, there was no formal state army in Russia.  It was really just the people, the villagers, teaching themselves how to fight or being taught by a local master.  Villages had to defend themselves in all types of terrain and weather, and against all types of invaders.  People learned by necessity, and by watching and emulating their enemies.

“Russia used to be a versatile warrior nation, with many regional variations.  The Slavic people as a whole were exposed to a lot of different angles of war and battle.

“After the revolution, the state didn’t want these people training and tried to forbid it.  A lot of the knowledge got lost,” says Majd.  And a lot got appropriated by the Soviet military, which quickly realized how powerful this home-grown combat system was, and reserved it for a few elite Special Operations Units.

The powers-that-be kept Systema out of the hands of the Russian people, who instead were offered a state-sanctioned martial art known as SAMBO, which was falsely promoted as a Russian tradition.  Two different lineages of Systema emerged out of this period—the one Majd follows, known as Ryabko, and the Kadochnikov approach (both are named after the teachers that founded them).

A summary of Mikhail Ryabko’s biography makes it clear that Systema in Russia is not just a recreational activity.  The son of one of Stalin’s personal bodyguards, Ryabko is a Colonel of the Special Operations Unit with the Russian Military, Chief Instructor of tactical training for the Emergency Response Team, and Advisor to the Supreme Judge of the Russian Federation.  He has been a tactical commander of hostage-rescue teams, counter-terrorist operations, and armed criminal neutralization.

After the Iron Curtain fell, Ryabko and Kadochnikov were instrumental in bringing Systema back into the public sphere, sparking immediate interest in Russia and, not long after, the rest of the world.

Systema has yet to be the focus of a Hollywood movie, but its star is on the rise in North America, says Majd.  He estimates that there are several hundred Systema schools worldwide, and thousands of practice groups.

While there’s no doubt that some of the interest in Systema comes from its mystique—“The top secret fighting art of the Russian Special Forces revealed!”—people are also drawn to it because it offers something different than other martial arts.  Systema, especially in the Ryabko tradition, has very few formalities—no belts, katas, or uniforms.

“It’s not as rigid as the oriental martial arts,” says Majd.  “It’s based on natural movement and intuition.  The idea is to bypass the brain because it just gets in the way in those moments when you need all your resources.”

Instead of teaching specific moves, Majd teaches a set of four principles: breath, relaxation, movement, form.  Students are asked to remain aware of all four principles while moving on their own, and then through progressive intensities of physical challenge—from cartwheels to being grabbed to wrestling to knife-fighting.

“Let’s be clear,” says Majd.  “At the end of the day, good movement is good movement.  We all have two arms and two legs and a head and we end up moving in similar ways.  What’s different with Systema is the process, and that’s what fascinates me.”

Indeed, Majd was fascinated from the very first moment he heard about Systema.

“I’m from what we can call the Bruce Lee generation,” says Majd with a laugh.  “Now I know all that was made for TV and not reality.”  But it got him interested in martial arts.  He started studying Judo at about eight years old, while living in France (he is originally from Iran).  Although he didn’t exactly fall in love with Judo—“I was taller and skinnier than everyone, and it was a tough club,” he says—he was hooked on martial arts, and kept practicing and studying.

After Majd moved to Toronto in 1989 he studied at a number of different dojos, but never found one that inspired him.  One day an ad in the newspaper caught his eye: “Brutal Russian Martial Art,” it said.  He went to class that evening with trainer Vladimir Vasiliev, who had studied directly under Mikhail Ryabko.

“There were about eight to 10 guys there and they tossed me around like I’d never experienced before.  It was great!  On the bus home I was mystified.  I thought to myself, what happened there?  I’m going back tomorrow and I’m standing my ground!”   He did go back, and the result was the same.

“I was tossed around just the same, by big men, by little men.  I kept going.  I loved it.”  Soon he was taking nine or 10 classes a week, and in the late 1990s was able to study with his teacher’s teacher, Mikhail Ryabko, which motivated him to delve deeper into Systema.

He started teaching in 1999 and that year founded Pacific Coast Systema School of Warrior Arts while living in Tofino (he’d moved to BC in 1998).  When he moved to Denman Island in 2002, he started teaching locally, and last August he set up his outdoor Dojo, known as The Roots Dojo, on a 90-acre Denman Island land co-op he helped found.  In this simple space, he teaches regular classes and multi-day intensives.  He also teaches a weekly class at the Abbey in Cumberland, and travels around Canada and up and down the West Coast delivering workshops.

He admits that a fairly remote island with a population of 1,100 people, a large percentage of them seniors, is not an obvious choice for a school of martial arts.

“By being here I’ve certainly presented a challenge to myself.  But it was and is very important to me to be surrounded by nature, by the forest, the water, the land.  And this is important to what we do here.

“Interacting with nature is a sub-principle of Systema,” he adds.  “I strongly believe we belong in nature.  The students who find their way here share those values.  They love that they can come here, unplug, and train intensively on a small island out in nature.”

Many of Majd’s students come from all over North America for his programs, and some spend up to six months training intensively with him.

“I’ve had students ranging from elite athletes, sport fighters, people learning self-defence, the whole spectrum of law enforcement, military people, private security contractors, bodyguards, people getting fit, people wanting to lose weight, and practitioners of oriental martial arts looking for an alternative.”

There is no right and wrong person for Systema, he says.  “I’m open to all individuals; I don’t care what their gender, body type or fitness level is.  This is very important because at the end of the day, it isn’t the 350-pound Russian bodybuilder who most needs to train in Systema.  It’s those who are small and disenfranchised, those who need to learn to stand up for themselves.

“At the end of the day, Systema is very much about character,” he says.

Although Majd’s statement makes intuitive sense to me, I can’t fully wrap my head around why giving someone the skills to beat the crap out of someone else makes them a better person.  So I ask the question that’s been in the back of my mind throughout the interview:  “What is the rationale for teaching fighting in a time when what we really need is peace?”

“That’s a valid question,” he says, nodding thoughtfully.  Martial arts help us understand where conflict and violence come from, which is essential information when searching for peaceful solutions, he says.

“Violence comes from a place of pain and fear.  Martial arts is a practice where you’ll quickly start facing these things.  You confront your emotions, your feeling that you can’t take the pain, your self-pity… and it provides a way to move through those things.  Working on yourself is key.”

As young men mature, they confront their own interest in violence, they wonder what it means to take a life, or have someone try to take yours, he explains.  Women as well, he adds, but less so.

“If this is not addressed, you end up with the mess we have.  When the martial spirit is bottled up in young men it will overtake their spirit.  In Systema, we cultivate the warrior spirit.  We teach where it properly belongs in the person, we teach how to deal with it, how to harness it, how to direct it.  We teach what is appropriate, what isn’t.”

Systema trains people to control the warrior spirit within them, even when it feels strong enough to overwhelm them, explains Majd.  And this is where vodka fits into Systema.  “When you drink vodka, you literally take the spirit into you and if you are really strong, it doesn’t take over,” says Majd.  Just as his teacher Vladimir Vasiliev did with him, he has sat around with his students drinking straight vodka, as an exercise.

There’s no vodka at the class I attend.  We progress from the warm up to strength work.  The word “brutal” starts to seem apt as Majd keeps us in plank pose for a long, long time, and then takes us into push-ups.  After that, it gets fun again with partner exercises that remind me of improv games from the dance classes I am more used to.  Then we move into holding each other, and trying to get out of the hold.  Then we do two-on-one, trying to grab/avoid being grabbed.  Now it feels like a martial arts class!

My heart rate is up, not just because I’m moving but also because my adrenaline is going.  I am fully aware of my warrior spirit, and the potential for intensity it brings.  But in this particular class, things move along lightly, and as it wraps up my main impression is that I’ve had fun, and that I now know a little bit of what Systema is, beyond the mystique.

For more information call 250-218-8097 or visit: www.pacificcoastsystema.com.